See Brad Pitt Play Runaway General in 'War Machine' Trailer

The wry first trailer for the movie War Machine offers up a humorous look at Brad Pitt as four-star General Glen McMahon, a man sent to put an end to George W. Bush's war in Afghanistan. But from the start, he has to lead his troops in shocking ways – such as reminding them not to hurt civilians. "We can't help them and kill them at the same time," Pitt growls at his troop in a way that suggests the movie is a black comedy. "It just ain't humanly possible."

The film, which premieres on Netflix on May 26th, also features Tilda Swinton, Sir Ben Kingsley, Anthony Michael Hall and Topher Grace, among others, and it was co-produced by Pitt. David Michôd (The Rover, Animal Kingdom) directed the film. The story is inspired by the book The Operators: The Wild & Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan, which chronicled the unpredictable moves of General Stanley McChrystal, by the late Rolling Stone journalist Michael Hastings. The author first wrote about McChrystal in his blockbuster 2010 article, "The Runaway General."